For gold his sword the hireling ruffian draws,
For gold the hireling judge distorts the laws;
Wealth heap’d on wealth, nor truth nor safety buys,
The dangers gather as the treasures rise. 
Let hist’ry tell where rival kings command,
And dubious title shakes the madded land,
When statutes glean the refuse of the sword,
How much more safe the vassal than the lord;
Low sculks the hind beneath the rage of power,
And leaves the wealthy traitor in the Tower[c],
Untouch’d his cottage, and his slumbers sound,
Though confiscation’s vultures hover round[d]. 
The needy traveller, serene and gay,
Walks the wild heath, and sings his toil away. 
Does envy seize thee? crush th’ upbraiding joy;
Increase his riches, and his peace destroy;
[e]Now fears, in dire vicissitude, invade,
The rustling brake alarms, and quiv’ring shade;
Nor light nor darkness bring his pain relief,
One shows the plunder, and one hides the thief.
[f] Yet still one gen’ral cry[g] the skies assails,
And gain and grandeur load the tainted gales: 
Few know the toiling statesman’s fear or care,
Th’ insidious rival, and the gaping heir.
[h]Once more, Democritus, arise on earth,
With cheerful wisdom and instructive mirth,
See motley life in modern trappings dress’d,
And feed with varied fools th’ eternal jest: 
Thou, who could’st laugh where want enchain’d caprice,
Toil crush’d conceit, and man was of a piece;
Where wealth, unlov’d, without a mourner died;
And scarce a sycophant was fed by pride;
Where ne’er was known the form of mock debate,
Or seen a new-made mayor’s unwieldy state;
Where change of fav’rites made no change of laws,
And senates heard, before they judg’d a cause;
How would’st thou shake at Britain’s modish tribe,
Dart the quick taunt, and edge the piercing gibe? 
Attentive truth and nature to descry,
And pierce each scene with philosophick eye;
To thee were solemn toys, or empty show,
The robes of pleasure, and the veils of woe: 
All aid the farce, and all thy mirth maintain,
Whose joys are causeless, or whose griefs are vain. 
  Such was the scorn that fill’d the sage’s mind,
Renew’d at ev’ry glance on human kind;
How just that scorn, ere yet thy voice declare,
Search ev’ry state, and canvass ev’ry pray’r.
  [i]Unnumber’d suppliants crowd preferment’s gate,
Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great;
Delusive fortune hears th’ incessant call,
They mount, they shine, evaporate, and fall. 
On ev’ry stage the foes of peace attend,
Hate dogs their flight, and insult mocks their end. 
Love ends with hope, the sinking statesman’s door
Pours in the morning worshipper no more;
For growing names the weekly scribbler lies,
To growing wealth the dedicator flies;
From ev’ry room descends the painted face,
That hung the bright palladium of the place;
And, smok’d in kitchens, or in auctions sold,